Recommended Feminist Literature for Birth through 18

“Women are not free anywhere in this world until all women in the world are free.”

Leymah Gbowee, 2011

The past year saw tragedies and setbacks but also significant achievements for women throughout the world. When the shooting of girls’ education advocate Malala Yousafzai and the gang rape of Jyoti Singh Pandey received unprecedented media coverage, these issues became catalysts for outrage and an international discussion of women’s rights. In the United States, legislators- shockingly, women as well as men- demeaned women through their draconian statements ranging from binders of women to scientifically preposterous comments about rape and pregnancy.

Yet this was also the year that saw record breaking elections of women to Congress, female athletes dominating the Olympics, and the lifting of the ban on women in combat.

The books on this year’s ABP list of recommended feminist books portray stories of women and girls finding their individual and collective voices. Protagonists advocate for civil rights, equal pay for equal work, treatment of marginalized communities, ecofeminism and the rights to vote and obtain quality education. These books trace the journey from antiquity through the U.S suffrage movement to contemporary feminist manifestos.

Our hope is that the stories’ messages will inspire readers to find their own voices and join the fight to empower all women.

“Feminism is all around us. As girls, we’re all part of it whether we like it or not. We live as we do because of the feminists who came before us. And it’s real.”

Julie Zeilinger 2009

The Amelia Bloomer Project is part of the Feminist Task Force of the American Library Association’s Social Responsibility Round Table. The Amelia Bloomer Project committee members are Jennie Law (co-chair), Angela Semifero (co-chair), Ann Bever, Betsy Miguez, Katie Mitchell, Lalitha Nataraj, Linda Parsons, Kelly Rottmund, April Witteveen, and Joy Worland.

Early Readers

Fiction

Light, Steve. Zephyr Takes Flight. 2012. Unpaged. Candlewick, $17.95 (978-1-4063-4029-7). PreS-Gr.1.Zephyr adores airplanes and lets her imagination soar to amazing heights. The author flips gender stereotypes and imbues his heroine’s tale with the clear meaning that no dream is ever out of reach.

Nonfiction

Allegra, Mike. Sarah Gives Thanks: How Thanksgiving Became a National Holiday. Illus. by David Gardner. 2012. Unpaged. Albert Whitman & Co., $16.99 (978-0-8075-7239-9). Gr.1-3.Sarah Hale campaigned to make Thanksgiving a National Holiday and worked as the editor of women’s magazines, highlighting articles on history, science, and new schools for women.

Corey, Shana. Here Come the Girl Scouts!: The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure. Illus. by Hadley Hooper. 2012. Unpaged. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (978-0-5453-4278-0). PreS-Gr.3. “Whatever you take up, do it with all of your might.” This vibrant portrait of the intrepid founder of the Girl Scouts conveys the sense of purpose the organization fostered in young women in the early 1900s.

Nivola, Claire A. Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle. 2012. Unpaged. Frances Foster Books, $17.99 (978-0-3743-8068-7). PreS-Gr.4.Earle bucked societal expectations by living in a deep-sea laboratory for two weeks, walking 1,250 feet below the ocean’s surface, and starting three companies to design and build devices which let researchers dive deeper.

Ochiltree, Dianne. Molly, by Golly!: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter. Illus. by Kathleen Kemly. 2012. Unpaged. Calkins Creek, $16.95 (978-1-5907-8721-2). Gr.1-3. When a fire breaks out and many of the volunteer firefighters are too sick with influenza to leave their houses, Molly Williams rushes to help and becomes America’s first female firefighter.

Avi. Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution. 2012. 302p. Beach Lane Books, $16.99 (978-1-4424-1441-9). Gr.4-8. Sophia joins the fight for American independence, eventually working as a spy whose work contributes to the downfall of a traitor to the Patriot cause.

DeFilippis, Nunzio and Christina Weir. Play Ball. Illus. by Jackie Lewis. 2012. 144p. Oni Press, $19.99 (978-1-9349-6479-8). Gr.6-9. In this graphic novel, Dash is excited to start at a new school– she’s determined to join the boy’s baseball team and take them all the way to the championship game!

Hobbs, Valerie. Minnie McClary Speaks Her Mind. 2012. 224p. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, $16.99 (978-0-3743-2496-4). Gr.4-6.The new language arts teacher Lindsay Marks inspires Minnie and her friend Amira to think critically about the world around them and stand up for justice.

Levine, Kristin. The Lions of Little Rock. 2012. 352p. Putnam Juvenile, $16.99 (978-0-3992-5644-8). Gr.5-8. In the tumultuous era following the desegregation of schools in Little Rock, 12-year old Marlee Nisbett finds her voice, as well as the courage to do the right thing.

Manzano, Sonia. The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano. 2012. 205p. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (978-0-5453-2505-9). Gr.6-8. A visit from her progressive grandmother spurs the development of Evelyn’s personal and political identities.

Rose, Caroline Starr. May B.: A Novel. 2012. 231p. Schwartz & Wade Books, $15.99 (978-1-5824-6393-3). Gr.4-7.
Young May is sent to work at a neighboring homestead on the Kansas prairie. After a series of dramatic events, May is stranded and fights to survive the brutal winter.

Whitley, Jeremy. PrinceLess: Book One, Save Yourself. Illus. by M. Goodwin. 2012. Unpaged. Action Lab Comics, $14.95 (978-1-4507-9894-5). Gr.4-8.
Princess Adrienne doesn’t need anyone to rescue her. She and her trusty girl dragon, Sparky, are on a quest to prove that girls have the power to save themselves!

Nonfiction

Branzei, Sylvia. Rebel in a Dress: Adventurers. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. 2011. 96p. Running Press Kids, $10.95 (0-7624-4385-7). Gr.3-6. Aviator, athlete, and astronaut are some of the jobs held by the pioneering women in this engaging book.

Branzei, Sylvia. Rebel in a Dress: Cowgirls. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. 2011. 96p. Running Press Kids, $10.95 (978-0-7624-3695-8). Gr.3-6.From the first cowgirls to modern rodeo heroines, this book covers a number of brave women who fought to be included in the male-dominated ranch, range, and rodeo worlds.

Carosella, Melissa and Kuligowski, Stephanie. Founding Mothers: Women who Shaped America. 2012. 32p. Teacher Created Materials, $8.99 (978-1-4333-1505-3). Gr.3-5.
This book introduces women from the early colonial period through the Civil War who helped shape America despite expectations that they should only serve as housewives.

Hollihan, Kerrie Logan. Rightfully Ours: How Women Won the Vote, 21 Activities. 2012. 129p. Chicago Review, $16.95 (978-1-8830-5289-8). Gr.4-8. This history of the fight for women’s suffrage depicts the plight of women in the early United States and describes the efforts of those who fought against oppression.

Lawlor, Laurie. Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World. Illus. by Laura Beingessner. 2012. 32p. Holiday House, $16.95 (978-0-8234-2370-5). Gr.3-5. At a time when few women worked as biologists, Rachel Carson counted deep-sea fish off Nova Scotia and tracked alligators in the Everglades before tackling the chemical industry with her groundbreaking work Silent Spring.

Wadsworth, Ginger. First Girl Scout: The Life of Juliette Gordon Low. 2012. 210p. Clarion Books, $17.99 (978-0-5472-4394-8). Gr.4-7.Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low spends her childhood summers enjoying the outdoors. As an adult, Daisy is determined to bring new opportunities to all girls.

Young Adult

Fiction

Bickle, Laura. The Hallowed Ones. 2012. 311p. Graphia, $8.99 (978-0-54785-926-2). Gr.9-up. Catastrophic events in the outside world prevent Katie from leaving her Amish village for Rumspringa. She defies the commands of the Elders to protect the village and determine her own future.

Feldman, Ruth Tenzer. Blue Thread. 2012. 302p. Ooligan Press, $12.95 (978-1-9320-1041-1). Gr.7-up. Inspired by her ancestors and the suffrage movement, Miriam matures into a strong, independent woman who fights for her political convictions and her professional ambitions

Gaughen, A.C. Scarlet. 2012. 292p. Walker Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (978-0-8027-2346-8). Gr.8-up.Will Scarlet is Robin Hood’s most trusted and dangerous lieutenant. Few know this knife-wielding thief is a young woman.

McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Summer of the Mariposas. 2012. 355p. Tu Books, $17.95 (978-1-6006-0900-8). Gr.7-up.
15-year old Odilia and her four sisters journey to Mexico to return the body of a dead man they found floating in the Rio Grande to his family. They battle supernatural forces and put aside their own differences for a trip that changes their lives forever.

Schrefer, Eliot. Endangered. 2012. 264p. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (978-0-5451-6576-1). Gr.7-up. When war breaks out and her mother’s bonobo sanctuary is attacked, Sophie escapes into the jungle with the great apes. Their survival depends on her quick thinking and resourcefulness.

Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity. 2012. 352p. Hyperion, $16.99 (978-1-4231-5219-4). Gr.8-up.Maddie and Verity risk their lives fighting for Allies during World War II. Their friendship gives them the strength and courage to do what’s right in the gravest of circumstances.

Nonfiction

Bartels, Peggielene and Eleanor Herman. King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village. 2012. 333p. Doubleday, $25.95 (978-0-3855-3432-1). Gr.9-up. A phone call awakens Peggielene Bartels in the middle of the night with news that she’s been chosen the next king of her home village Otuam, Ghana. She overcomes corruption and sexism to bring progress to the village.

Bartsiokas, Tom and Corey Long. Angela James: The First Superstar of Women’s Hockey. 2012. 163p. Women’s Press Literary, $14.95 (978-0-9866-3888-6). Gr.7-up. The story of Canadian hockey great Angela James and her trailblazing successes as an athlete and woman.

Ditto, Beth with Michelle Tea. Coal to Diamonds. 2012. 176p. Spiegel & Grau, $22.00 (978-0-3855-2591-6). Gr.9-up.Beth Ditto, feminist punk lead singer of Gossip, shares her journey from humble and troubled beginnings in Arkansas to a member of a world-renowned band.

Lauper, Cyndi with Jancee Dunn. Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir. 2012. 338p. Atria Books, $26.00 (978-1-4391-4785-6). Gr.9-up.In this inspiring memoir, Cyndi Lauper shares her trials and successes, including her escape from a traumatic home life, her rise in the music industry, and her critical work as a gay rights activist.

Strayed, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. 2012. 315p. Alfred A. Knopf, $25.95 (978-0-3075-9273-6). Gr.10-up. A memoir of personal and natural discoveries, Strayed shares her story of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Oregon as a solo woman.

Wahab, Saima. In My Father’s Country: An Afghan Woman Defies Her Fate. 2012. 352p. Crown Publishers, $25.00 (978-0-3078-8494-7). Gr.10-up.Escaping gender oppression and political strife, Saima immigrates to the US as a teen. Saima later ventures back to Afghanistan as an interpreter and offers a fascinating perspective on Afghan customs including a provocative analysis of gender issues.

Worden, Minky (Editor). The Unfinished Revolution: Voices From the Global Fight For Women’s Rights. 2012. 361p. Seven Stories, $23.95 (978-1-6098-0387-2). Gr.10-up.This collection of essays explores the status of rights for women and girls worldwide, through the topics of economic issues, violence against women, and harmful traditions.

Thank you all so much for including Princeless in your list and in your consideration! I hope we continue to impress!

ewein2412March 22, 2013 / 4:21 am

early in 2012, before Code Name Verity was published in North America, I noticed that someone had nominated it for this list and I was *so delighted* – one of the things I’d really had in mind when I wrote it was that I hoped it would challenge and encourage young women to expand their horizons. I am absolutely thrilled that CNV has made it onto the final list. Thank you!